Symbolism in A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner William Faulkner used a great deal of symbolism in this story. His use of symbolism captivated the reader until the shocking end of the story. Some of the symbolism was blatant while some was vague and disguised. While Faulkner’s use of the color white in this story wasn’t obvious at first it soon becomes clear that the color white represents innocence and youth. The Grierson house was white and when Miss Emily was a young girl she wore white dresses as opposed to the black attire she wore in her latter years. This represents the innocence of Miss Emily before she becomes a victim of herself and her refusal to change. The yellow color of the wheels of the buggy Miss Emily and Homer Baron rode around town in represented Homer’s cowardice toward marriage. Another color Faulkner used as symbolism was the color red. Red is the color of love and the bedroom in the upstairs of the house was decorated in red symbolizing her love for Homer. Homer was symbolic too. He represented the North so even though he was Miss Emily’s love he was also her antagonist. When the druggist writes “for rats” on the arsenic it is symbolic of Homer. He was a “rat” that came into town and took advantage of Miss Emily because he had no intention of marrying her or staying with her because he was a non-secretive homosexual or bi-sexual ‘Homer himself remarked—he liked men”. Miss Emily’s hair was symbolic in several ways. First, after her father dies, she cuts it short symbolizing her freedom from her father’s controlling ways. When she is old, it becomes iron gray symbolizing strength and strong will since iron is a very strong element. Miss Emily got that strength from her father. When... ... middle of paper ... ... Homer’s initials in the bedroom represented Emily’s tarnished reputation because of Homer. Miss Emily herself was symbolic in this story. In the beginning she was young and vibrant like the South used to be but toward the end she was unkempt and ugly characterizing the unhealthy traditions of the Old South and its stubborn followers. Her conflict was symbolic of the conflict of acceptance versus unacceptance that was present in the South at that time. The rose was also symbolic in this story. The rose is sometimes a symbol for silence or secrecy so something said or done is not to be repeated. The rose represented the secret that was upstairs hidden away from the rest of the world, Homer’s dead body. Miss Emily had preserved it much like someone would preserve a rose. Miss Emily’s “preserving” Homer was symbolic of her ultimate refusal to accept change.
William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" is a story that uses flashbacks to foreshadow a surprise ending. The story begins with the death of a prominent old woman, Emily, and finishes with the startling discovery that Emily as been sleeping with the corpse of her lover, whom she murdered, for the past forty years. The middle of the story is told in flashbacks by a narrator who seems to represent the collective memory of an entire town. Within these flashbacks, which jump in time from ten years past to forty years past, are hidden clues which prepare the reader for the unexpected ending, such as hints of Emily's insanity, her odd behavior concerning the deaths of loved ones, and the evidence that the murder took place.
Faulkner first tells that shortly after her father’s death Miss Emily’s sweetheart left her. Everybody in the town thought that Emily and this sweetheart of hers were going to be married. After her sweetheart left her the people of the town saw her very little. Faulkner then tells what might be viewed as the climax of the story next. He explains that one day Miss Emily went into town and bought rat poison. By revealing this so early on in the story it challenges the reader to use their imagination. The readers’ view of Miss Emily could now possibly be changed. It has changed from feeling sorry for this woman to thinking she is going to murder someone.
Getty interprets that the “Rose” could possibly represent Homer as a “relic of the past.” According to her, Homer’s body was similar to “a rose pressed against the pages of a book, since Emily kept his body for many years. The critic believes that Faulkner deliberately manipulated the title to possibly create a tribute to Miss Emily for not recognizing her own bizarre actions. Getty argues that Faulkner chose this title for the story to represent “secrecy” throughout by not revealing Homer’s murder. Although some of the readers might have guessed it, neither the narrator nor the author disclose Emily’s actions. Only after flowers were place on her grave, which represent her passing, the readers comprehend the confidential information that was withheld form them throughout this short
Emily then sets out to fulfill the ultimate form of the rose dream, that of marriage. She purchases "a man's toilet set in silver, with the letters H.B. on each piece"(Faulkner 77) and "a complete outfit of men's clothing, including a nightshirt"(Faulkner 77). However, Homer disappears when his work is through, leaving Emily once again without a rose. Within a couple of weeks Homer, is seen entering Emily's house late at night. Emily realizes that Homer has no plans to stay, so she demonstrates her love the only way she knows how, by killing him. In her own way, she forces Homer to love her and to stay with her. In doing so, Emily's rose wilts forever.
One great puzzle in "A Rose for Emily," highlighted by Faulkner's language is the exact nature of Emily's relationship with Homer Barron. That is because Homer himself remains such an enigma. With an initial reading of the story, Homer appears to be an average kind of man. Those things about him that Faulkner reveals to us, such as his being "a Northerner [and] a day laborer"(279), while highly uncomplimentary in the eyes of the people of Jefferson, warrant little attention from a modern reader. We are glad for Emily and do not begrudge her the companionship, but contrary to Hal Blythe's view of Homer in his article, he never appears to be an "aristocratic and . . . chivalric . . . courtly lover"(49). He is, in fact, a construction worker whom the little boys of Jefferson followed to hear shout at the "niggers"(Faulkner 279). Little about him is aristocratic or chivalrous, because his relationship with Emily is h...
Those last two phrases refers that Miss Emily demanded respect, and to be treated always like a lady. She had fallen in love with Homer, she thought he was the man who figured she was missing. When he confessed his secret to her, she felt foolish, humiliated; because she had plans for both, because she risked her last name for laborer. Homer then paid the consequences. Emily’s father raised her with lots of authority, he might have ruined her life by not giving her the opportunity to live a normal lady/woman life; but he built a personality, character and a psycho woman.
Homer was the main representative of Yankee views towards the Griersons and the entire South, a situation of the present. Emily held the view of the past as if it were a rose-tinted place where nothing would ever die. Her world was already the past. Whenever the modern times were about to take hold of her, she retreated to that world of the past, and took Homer with her. Her room upstairs was that place, a place where Emily could stay with dead Homer forever as though no death nor disease could separate them.
“A Rose for Emily” William Faulkner takes us back in time with his Gothic short story known as, “A Rose for Emily.” Almost every sentence gives a new piece of evidence to lead the reader to the overall theme of death, isolation, and trying to maintain traditions. The reader can conclude the theme through William Faulkner’s use of literary devices such as his choice of characters, the setting, the diction, the tone, and the plot line. William Faulkner introduces us to a number of characters but the most involved being Emily Grierson, Homer Barron, Tobe, and the ladies of the town; who are not named individually. Emily Grierson was once a beautiful and wealthy upper class young women who lived with her father, who has since died, on the towns,
William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" has been interpreted in many different ways. Most of these rely solely on hints found within the story. I believe that his life can also help one analyze this story. By knowing that Faulkner's strongest influence was his independent mother, one can guess that Miss Emily Grierson's character was based partly on Maud Falkner.
In “A Rose For Emily”, by William Faulkner, plot plays an important role in how
In the story, A Rose for Emily, the townspeople gather around to mourn the death of Miss Emily Grierson. As they gather each person reminisce memories of the woman, whether they were good or bad. Emily Grierson was a settled young lady who lived with an over powering father and quiet servant. Emily was never allowed to date or fancy a man because her father would keep her captive and secluded from any relations. On the day of the father’s death, Emily could not let her father go; therefore she kept her father with her for three days, in denial that he had passed. Time went on and Miss Emily decided it was time for a change. Miss Emily crossed paths with a man by the name of Homer Barron. He was an upstate Yankee worker who was on a job nearby the Grierson home. The townspeople were disappointed because of the Grierson name. According to them, they believed that Emily would never fall for Barron. They were wrong. After a while of going out and having fun, Homer was never seen again. Miss Emily would be seen buying odd items for marriage which made the
William Faulkner used indirect characterization to portray Miss Emily as a stubborn, overly attached, and introverted women through the serious of events that happened throughout her lifetime. The author cleverly achieves this by mentioning her father’s death, Homer’s disappearance, the town’s taxes, and Emily’s reactions to all of these events. Emily’s reactions are what allowed the readers to portray her characteristics, as Faulkner would want her to be
In Faulkner’s tale “A Rose for Emily” there are many historical elements throughout the story; Faulkner uses them to give an authentic feel to the story and to add to the setting. A recurring theme that I found was reference to the reconstruction of the South after the Civil War. The setting of the South after their demise in the Civil War adds character to the story and to the characters. The attitudes people had and the way people treated Emily with respect was a tradition of the “Old South” that is presented throughout this tale.
The title itself is the first hint of symbolism that is shown throughout this short story. A rose is most often used as a symbol for love in which case during this story Homer is the "rose" for Emily, or also known as the love for Emily. Emily's father was a man who never allowed or agreed to any many being good enough for his daughter. Because of this, Emily was never able to experience love until the day she met Homer. A rose is also able to symbolize silence. This can be interpreted throughout the story that Homer was still Emily's rose, but then known as her "secret." Emily cherished and loved Homer and kept him to herself after his body was corrupted throughout time. Many women dry out roses in order to keep them forever. Emily was known to have a distorted and out of the ordinary mind, and with this said, she wanted to keep Homer forever by "drying out her rose." The room where she placed Homer Barron was described as having "rose-shaded lights" (330) which also can connect to the symbol of...
Emily is only described when she is late in her life and then only as being like a "skeleton" in an "obese" body and looking "bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water". Here, Faulkner is using simile in his description of Emily to foreshadow the skeletal remains of Homer, her lover, who is found dead later. Miss Emily is not seen for years after the disappearance of Homer. When she is finally seen, she is described as being fatter than before and with her hair beginning to turn gray. Her hair continues to turning gray until it becomes "pepper and s...